


How we see ourselves

by Variously_Stated



Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: M/M, Rating May Change, ambiguous timeline, mature rating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2020-10-05 10:11:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20487194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Variously_Stated/pseuds/Variously_Stated
Summary: It was no mystery that Ragnar held depths to his person that were entirely unknowable to any but the gods. However, what was not difficult for any and all to see was that Ragnar loved Athelstan.





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> This is seriously WIP and thusly may take me long times before I am able to update.  
Please feel free give feedback and thanks for reading.

Ragnar Lothbrok was decidedly masculine, tall and broad shouldered. With capable hands, laughing glacial eyes, and a rakish smile. Hair not unlike ripe wheat set into a series of braids while being shorn clean at the sides. These are all the easiest ways to describe the viking. The harder parts were describing the qualities of the man himself. How his easy going nature hid a deep wealth of anger. How his laugh covered up pains that cut much deeper than any scar. How his rough hands could hold with equal confidence an axe or a child. 

It was no mystery that Ragnar held depths to his person that were entirely unknowable to any but the gods. However, what was not difficult for any and all to see was that Ragnar loved Athelstan. 

Athelstan, somewhat slender and paler than any maid around him. His eyes were the colors of corn flowers; his hair curled in dark ringlets around his cheeks when not tied back. He was easy to smile and held a long willed with patience, even for the most doddering of fools. Often others teased him, without his knowledge of course, for his inability to see what was right in front of him. For everyone else may have known but Athelstan was woefully unaware of how much Ragnar loved him. Or even how much he, himself, loved Ragnar.


	2. Always Welcome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Athelstan and Ragnar have a little discussion with a big impact.
> 
> no beta, so all mistakes are my own.  
Feel free to leave feedback.

Athelstan was in his own head, conflict painting his expression. This had become the new normal for the young man as he went about his chores around Kattegat, trying his best to suss out how he could adore the heathen gods while still loving the god of his past. How could he feel Thor in the rain and the eyes of Odin in every raven flying by while still admiring the world of bounty and beauty the christian God had made all around him. Which stories were true, were they all true? Could both live in his heart and claim his soul? As if reading his friend's pain, Ragnar's hand was a sudden presence on the back of his neck as the viking drew the monk far too close for any normal comfort the Englishman would have once had. This was Ragnar though, and the younger man knew in his mind that the viking held many liberties he would not allow any other. Athelstan ended up laughing as Ragnar tried to tell him something: no doubt rather seriously. However, it was hard to take any man seriously when he had just blown air up your nose while trying to whisper. This left Ragnar somewhat deflated as he sighed and shook his head, the grasp on Athelstan's neck turning into an affectionate tug into a hug before letting go entirely.  
“What am I going to do with you?” The Viking asked in tender bemusement, despite normally being quite cross at being laughed at. Athelstan looked up with shining eyes and just grinned.   
“Oh, knowing you, you’ll find something.” His cheeks quickly pinked as he realized that innuendo his words could be seen as leaving Ragnar to laugh this time. A kind of undignified boldness hit the brunette as he huffed and squared his shoulders an unconvincing glare shadowing his eyes. Ragnar rolled his eyes and came back to standing his usual distance of too-close-for-anyone-but-lovers from Athelstan and ruffled his hair a little.   
“What I’ve been trying to say is that I will always welcome you in my home, god and gods be damned.” The blonde smiled with his usual kindness for his monk and wandered off to continue doing what he had planned for the day.   
Athelstan was left a little winded as the realization of the world around him hit. Ragnar knew he still worshiped the christan god, or perhaps only knew of his conflicting feelings in both religions, and didn’t care. At the very least the viking didn’t care enough to stop from caring for him. This sort of revelation caused a pause in Athelstan before he began to work once more. Chores, training, getting his ass handed to him by people who had been fighting all their lives, not even Floki’s complete intolerance of his existence could bring the bright eyed man down as he realized he’d always be able to stay by Ragnar's side now. It wouldn’t be until later that he would question why this made him so giddy.


End file.
